Meta has denied allegations that it forced users to follow official accounts associated with senior figures in the Trump administration following Donald Trump’s inauguration on Monday.
Some users complained that they were automatically subscribed to accounts for President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and First Lady Melania Trump without their consent.
Meta spokesperson Andy Stone explained that the accounts in question, including @POTUS (President of the United States), @VP (Vice President), and @FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States), are managed by the White House and updated to reflect new officeholders. “This is the same procedure we followed during the last presidential transition,” Stone said in a statement.
Archived versions of these accounts previously displayed names and portraits of Joe and Jill Biden. Stone noted that transitions between administrations might temporarily delay follow and unfollow requests.
Trump, inaugurated for a second term on Monday, has begun implementing his policy agenda, including executive orders to withdraw from the World Health Organization and declare a national emergency at the Mexican border.
The inauguration was attended by prominent tech leaders, including Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and X (formerly Twitter) chief Elon Musk, who also holds an advisory role in Trump’s administration.
Despite past tensions between Trump and Meta, including a 2021 ban on Trump for “praise of violence” during the January 6 Capitol riots, relations between Trump and Zuckerberg appear to have improved. In November, Zuckerberg dined with Trump at Mar-a-Lago and donated $1 million toward Trump’s inauguration.
Meta recently announced a move to replace third-party fact-checking with a system similar to X’s community notes, in an effort to address criticisms of bias and content moderation. The company described the change as part of a return to its “fundamental commitment to free expression.”
The allegations of forced follows have drawn mixed reactions, with some users expressing frustration and others defending the practice as routine during presidential transitions.
Trump’s interactions with tech giants have remained contentious, with prior accusations that Meta suppressed unfavorable content about Hunter Biden and censored COVID-related posts. Mark Zuckerberg has since expressed regret over some decisions made under the previous administration.
Meta’s response highlights the complexities of managing official government accounts and the scrutiny surrounding its practices during political transitions.